K pop
Have you heard of Kpop? I am sure that you have listened to K-pop at least once in your life.
15 years ago, the Korean government and some entertainment companies decided to boost Korean music and popularize it around the world. However, it was not as easy as they expected, because pop and hip-hop were too high of a wall to overcome.
Some idol groups suffered so much and some were broken up due to lack of investment. However, Korean singers tried harder and harder. As a result of a long struggle, some groups succeeded in Asia, and PSY, EXO and BTS were incredibly successful around world.
Thanks to their struggle, South Korea successfully popularized not only Kpop, but also Korean food and culture.
When I visited the U.S., Japan, and New Zealand, I was able to listen to Korean songs on the streets and see idol group's poster easily. Korean singers are especially popular with young adults.
How can idol groups succeed in the music field? As I mentioned above, both idol groups and idol trainees spend an incredible amount of time practicing. In order to be a world famous group, they need to get through domestic fans first to gain investors.
Most idol trainees apply for music entertainment companies when they are in middle school (some start even earlier than this). Once they pass an idol trainee test, they need to be in training at least 5 years.
According to the survey conducted in Korea, 43 percent of trainees give up within 3 years. They usually quit because they are unable to have free time, and they need to follow strict rules, such as no smoking, no dating, no drinking. Also their struggle does not guarantee success in the field.
42 percent of trainees abide by the rules of their company and practice hard. However, they could not get in the list of actual idol groups due to other prominent trainees. Once they are excluded from selection, they could wait for their next chance or move to another company.
The rest can debut on TV. These groups gain popularity for a while yet they are taken over by new idol groups. Most idol groups debut when they are 17. Once they grow old, the public turn their faces away from old idol groups. I've seen most idol groups disappear.
Those who managed to survive in the ferocious field are able to gain money and popularity from the public.
